Keyword – media representation

Kiss, László:

The construction of narrative space and the political field

This study analyses the online media representation of the 2026 Hungarian election campaign using network analysis tools. It focuses on the political actor networks of five national news sites (hirado.hu, origo.hu, index.hu, telex.hu and 444.hu), specifically examining 50-actor networks. By exploring co-mention networks, it aims to uncover the structure of narrative centres, centre/periphery relationships, bridging actors and the connections between domestic political and geopolitical fields. Its findings indicate that while the media outlets largely feature the same political actors, they create distinct narrative frameworks. Pro-government media present the campaign as a cohesive geopolitical conflict, whereas news sites critical of the Orbán Government develop more nuanced and diversified political meanings.

Keywords: geopolitics, media representation, narrative space, network analysis, political communication